RSS FeedFri 24 Oct 2008
I don’t know if it’s like this for the rest of you, but after I go a few days (or more) without posting, as much as I want to post something, it almost seems to get harder to find something to post. I’m not sure, but I think that perhaps it’s because I subconsciously feel as if I have to (at least try and) come up with some amazing post to make up for the lack of activity.
The problem with trying to find an amazing post to use after a lapse is that, for most of us, the amazing post ideas don’t just smack us upside the head on a regular basis. Now, everyone is bound to get a good idea every once in a while, but for that to happen on a regular basis is rare. Most of the time, for me anyway, I will find a post idea that is acceptable and make the post as good as possible.
Now, some people may think that this is a poor way to operate a blog because we are supposed to be reaching for the highest quality and absolute best posts that we can come up with. While I agree that the better we can make our posts, the better our blog is going to be and the more readers, comments, etc we will have. At the same time however, a site that only has the highest possible quality of posts but only adds something new once every month or two is not going to achieve much or get very far.
I guess this post all boils down to the age-old “quality versus quantity” debate. I know this is an issue that has been beat to death throughout the blogosphere, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it discussed from the aspect of having a lapse in posting and felt it was an issue worth exploring.
At what point do you sacrifice posting at all in the interest of finding quality content, or at what point do you sacrifice the quality of your content in the interest of posting something at all?
If that question is too hard to answer, at what point does a lapse become significant enough for you to notice this effect on your selection of post topics?
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The quality vs quantity debate really can get pretty heated. I think in part, the niche and type of blog largely help to dictate which one will be ‘proper’ for both the owners needs and those of the readers. Finding the balance is important.
With that said, in so much as the blogs I regularly read, I think I prefer quality over the practice of extreme quantity blogging. This is not to say that some people aren’t able to successfully do both, provide extreme quantity and quality, but it is hard to do.
I agree with you that finding a topic for the quality posts can be difficult sometimes…
Great post. Creative “sparks” are the currency of great blogs. Think of it differently than everyone else does: Most bloggers think, “What can I DO to get inspired.” I think this is the problem. There isn’t any act that can produce inspiration. I say, live your life with tape recorders and yellow pads everywhere you go. That way, when the elusive ideas come, you collect them.
I know exactly what you mean. And I’ve been there Sooo many times lol. It’s exactly what you said, the “quality versus quantity” debate. And unfortunately, I’ve found at least, that quantity slaughters quality. Assuming, that it is an acceptable post at least. The blogger who posts every day for two months, will succeed, as compared to the blogger who posts every two weeks for two months with really long informative posts. The fact of the matter is, it only takes minutes to read any post you can put out, and after it’s done, people want more. If your not there to give them more the next day, then there gone. It’s saddening, because I’m finding to keep up with other bloggers, I’m needing to spend more time researching, and less time writing.
Jonathan Muller
You make a great point…as a reader, I will read just about anything you put into my RSS reader as long as you maintain at least a mediocre post quality. Just by having new information you will be likely to gain pageviews (and hopefully readers) as opposed to having better but less frequent content (where the focus I guess would be more on readers than pageviews)